Three questions for your speaking strategy in 2026.
There is no shortage of powerful voices out there. Founders, experts and change-makers with real experience and credibility. Yet many of them feel a gap between the strength of their work and their visibility or bookability as speakers. Three questions I often use as a quick sense check:
- Do people struggle to repeat your main talk in one clear sentence after hearing it once?
- Are you still being introduced as “great at what they do” rather than “the go-to person for X”?
- Do most of your speaking opportunities arrive by accident instead of through a deliberate plan?
If you recognise yourself in one or more of these, it is not a confidence problem. It is a strategy problem. Your voice is strong, but the framework around it is not doing its job.
For an easy starting point on our three speaking paths for 2026, reply with “Details”, or click here to email me directly.
'The Keynote Speaker' does not exist.
The industry still markets an outdated stereotype: the full-time road warrior with a single signature talk. In reality, very few people build careers like that today. Most modern speakers are founders, solopreneurs, senior leaders or experts who speak as part of a wider portfolio of work. They have different rhythms, ambitions and definitions of impact. The problem is that the market has not updated its playbook, so many strong voices end up using models that do not match who they are.
A client told me a week ago, “I didn’t realise my current speaker profile was built for a person I never wanted to be.” That clarity alone changed everything for him.
Oratore empowers voices that move the world.
Oratore Speakers is shifting from programmes to a broader platform that empowers voices that move the world. For some, that means going all-in on speaking. For others, it means a small number of well-chosen stages combined with publishing, client work or scaling an idea or business.
The goal is not to become “a keynote speaker” but to build a strategic communication model that fits the work, the mission and the person behind it.
How about the training programmes?
Our educational work stays and grows. We are building a deeper faculty so you can plug into the right expertise instead of a generic curriculum. You will see more from people like Alex Merry for MicDrop member meet-ups (early-bird access here), Carlos Cantú for creative branding, Sudha Kheterpal for pitching, Asger Lindholdt for TEDx preparation, Frank Van Oss for corporate presentation skills, Vassilena Valchanova for content strategy and Dan Södergren for AI and marketing, with more names joining soon.
How can you prepare for 2026?
If you are preparing for a stronger 2026 and want to close the gap between a “strong profile” and a “strategic voice that moves the world”, I currently have two places left for a twelve-week one-to-one trajectory in Q1. In those twelve weeks, we refine your market position, define and name your talks, enhance your personal brand, and develop a straightforward outbound plan that consistently resonates with decision-makers. The aim is clarity, traction and a model you can actually sustain.
If that sounds relevant, reply with “Details”.
Should I send you the details?
Thanks for reading and your ongoing support,
Steven
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